Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake [PC] | REVIEW

When Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons released back in 2013, it simply blew me away thanks to its unique twin-stick gameplay, its harrowing narrative, and magical world to unravel. I hadn’t played anything quite like it, and even now, eleven years on, it still stands out as one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had with a game. I’m a big fan then, so the idea of a remake was certainly interesting to me – even if it didn’t feel like a title that necessarily needed it. Fortunately, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake manages to capture the magic of the first release wonderfully, all whilst giving it the modern bells and whistles to ensure its enchanting world is more beautiful than ever.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake puts players in the role of two brothers as they venture across a fantastical yet perilous world to uncover a cure for their dying father’s ailment. With their mother dying following an accident at sea, he’s the only family they have left, so they’re willing to put everything on the line in order to save him. However, with the world they face full of vicious creatures, hazardous locales, and even GIANTS, the journey won’t be an easy one.

I’m not going to go into detail about the narrative, because honestly, it’s something you need to discover for yourself. It’ll pull at all of your emotions when playing, and whilst there isn’t an English line spoken in the game, you’ll find it easy to empathise with the struggles that the siblings face and will root for them through every setback that comes their way. It’s an expertly told tale that’s full of surprises and it still packs the same emotional punch that it had back in 2013.

What makes Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake so unique is the clever control scheme that sees you controlling both characters at the same time – the left stick and shoulder buttons controls the actions of the older brother, whilst the right stick and shoulder buttons control the actions of the younger brother. Now this might sound a little overwhelming, but it’s actually incredibly intuitive and controlling both characters in cohesion is a breeze. Sure, there’ll be some early hiccups as your fingers adjust to controlling both at the same time, but the simplistic approach of the tasks in-game and the camera that manages to offer the perfect perspective of the action at any given time ensures that the dual-character control scheme is both accessible and a lot of fun.

“Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake manages to capture the magic of the first release wonderfully, all whilst giving it the modern bells and whistles to ensure its enchanting world is more beautiful than ever.”

At its core, the game is very much a puzzler, with plenty of conundrums to unravel as you journey through each area. These puzzles typically rely on using both characters to support one another, whether that’s by opening up pathways, combining their strength, or simply acting as a distraction. There are some really clever and creative ideas embraced in the game’s design, with plenty of head-scratching moments that’ll leave you momentarily stumped as you figure out what to do. And when you face off against some of the deadly creatures of the world? That’s when you really have to get your thinking cap on if you want to succeed, with neither brother having combat capabilities but instead having to rely on their wit to survive. It can make for some really exciting set pieces, but nothing’s more satisfying that striking that ‘eureka!’ moment when you figure out what exactly you need to do.

That being said, I’d be lying if I said Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake was a particularly hard game. Maybe going in with the knowledge of completing it before made it easier (this is pretty much a 1:1 remake after all), but I don’t recall struggling too much during my first time playing either. It’s pretty linear in design and you know the solution is always going to be around you in the environment, so it’s never too tough to figure out what to do next. But hey, it might be COMPLTELY different for first timers to the game, so who knows.

It all comes together to make for a really entertaining adventure, though it’s definitely on the shorter side, with my playthrough coming in at around three hours. The pacing and variety of locales and puzzles during the journey help it feel substantial so you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck, but it’s certainly a case of being ‘short and sweet’ as opposed to a lengthy escapade. One of the new additions with the remake is the inclusion of a co-op mode though, so you could go through again with a friend if you want to make it last longer. But honestly? It feels like it was MEANT to be played through solo, so whilst it’s nice to have the co-op option, I wouldn’t recommend it – especially for your first playthrough, at least.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Of course, the biggest addition to the game is the graphical lick of paint, with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake looking absolutely gorgeous throughout. The fantasy environments are simply breathtaking, with the added depth, detail, and enhanced lighting bringing each area to life. You’ve only got to look at a comparison of the two games together to see how much of an improvement has been made, with this remake looking more realistic without sacrificing the fairytale-like aura of the original. It’s really impressive, and whilst the original game still holds up, there’s no doubting that the remake offers the best way to experience the adventure.

Oh, but the faces of the main characters? I wasn’t a fan. Whilst all other character models look great (especially with the fantasy creatures), there was something about the faces of the brothers that just looked… off.

Developer: Avantgarden Games
Publisher: 505 Games
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2153350/Brothers_A_Tale_of_Two_Sons_Remake/